The Make-Up Removers

I've made it no secret on this little space of the Internet that I rarely wear makeup on the daily. However there does from time to time happen to be an occasion where I need to put ma face on. It's quite sad to say it, but one of the reasons I love putting makeup on is the fact I know I can do a full skincare routine after. I know, I'm pathetic. Anyway, here are my makeup removing loves.

The liquid - The Garnier Micellar Water is a recent addition to my stash but a good'un at that. It's great at breaking down makeup and start the process of makeup removal. A couple of cotton pads soaked in this stuff and my face is starting to look like its usual barefaced self.

The oil - Surprise, surprise, an Origins product has wrangled its way into a skincare post. The Clean Energy Facial Oil is fantastic at really breaking down your makeup, even the toughest mascara. Plus, due to the fact it's an oil, it's great at allowing you to give yourself a facial massage too.

The balm - that's also kind of like an oil. The Bodyshop's Sumptious Cleansing Butter is a solid oil that breaks down once you rub it between your palms. Due to the oily quality it gives, again it is great for a facial massage and you can really work it into your skin, allowing it to remove all of your makeup.

What do you use to remove your makeup? Do you like any of these?

Laura xoxo

Review: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

This product has been in my bathroom since January, but since I was being a good girl and using up the last of my other Garnier cleansing water (it was a mix of blue and water and I loved it) I didn't get round to using it until a couple of months ago so I've only just got round to doing my review on it.

Now this got a lot of attention when it first came out, and I'm not surprised, hailed as a cheaper dupe for the elusive Bioderma, which I'm still yet to try! What I think impresses me most about this product is the size, it's a whole whopping 400ml, double the size of the standard 200ml of product most brands give us.

I've tried many a Bioderma dupe, and I have to say this is my favourite cleansing water. It doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped, it takes my make-up off well and it's a great first step in my cleansing routine when I wear make-up.

I would say a second/third cleanse with an actual cleanser should be done as it's not a miracle worker, but for late nights or when you're wearing a bit more make-up than normal this is a great product to get the cleansing cycle going.

I really recommend you give this product a try if you're on the lookout for a cleansing water.

What do you think of this?

Laura xoxo

Desk-side beauty

When it comes to work I'm very low maintenance. Working in a small office with little interaction with the outside world except the odd dash to the supermarket at lunch, has meant that make-up and hair is left in its natural state in favour of sleep. However there are some beauty items that a gal (I don't think I'm cool enough to use that word) just needs to have with her. Here I present to you my desk-side beauty.

First up I have a hair clip which I got from Boots. On the odd day I wear my hair down, I find it just annoys me, so end up clipping it up. Perfect when you tend to spend a lot of the day with your head down typing. Also hair related I like to keep a little pocket brush (handy mirror there too) to give my hair a bit of a spruce up, which it often needs. Finally if I really should've washed my hair the night before, or on the off chance I'm going out after work I like to keep some dry shampoo handy, just in case.

For me, a broken nail is the most annoying thing. As someone who used to bite their nails seeing the start of a broken nail is just too tempting, so I like to file it down before I create some real damage. I also find that sometimes I don't realise my nails are a bit too long until I'm trying to type and file them down a little. Also in the name of hand care I love this Garnier hand cream and tend to use it daily. Washing up my cups and dishes can leave my hands feeling dry, especially in the winter weather and this is great at making them feel softer.

Finally to keep chapped lips at bay I like to keep a lip balm with me. This Nivea one has little colour but serious moisture, making it the perfect desk-side beauty item. It's great to slap on without a mirror and really works at nourishing my lips as I work.

What are your desk side beauty picks?

Laura xoxo

The Almost Tinted Moisturisers

The amount of categories of base products is pretty amusing really isn't it? We have tinted moisturisers, BB creams, CC creams and whatever is developed next. Today I want to talk about those 'almost tinted moisturisers' or moisturisers with a 'hint of tint' as they like to call themselves.

The Underneath/Mixed in Product - When I first used Soap and Glory's Glow Job I tried to use it as a base straight away, which didn't really work out for me. I've since found that it works best applied underneath a foundation (only a tiny amount needed) or mixed in with a pale foundation.

The Original - Ah, Origins VitaZing the product that begun my craze in the almost tinted moisturiser area. I really love this product, from the application all the way down to the smell. It really evens out my skin tone but my skin still has a natural look to it. The only thing wrong with it is the price, some a not quite tinted moisturiser it is £27, a bit pricy in my opinion.

The One with Skincare Qualities - The most recent addition to my almost tinted moisturiser stash is the Garnier Miracle skin Cream which boast skin care qualities alongside the a skin tint. It is really hydrating as well as giving a good boost of colour to the skin too. Alongside this it also aims to reduce signs of ageing and is only £12.99, score.

What are your favourite almost tinted moisturisers?

Laura xoxo

Review: Garnier Miracle Skin Cream

So this product is another hopeful Origins VitaZing dupe. I purchased it just a few days after getting the Soap and Glory Glow Job as I wanted to see how the too compared.

Firstly this one contains SPF which the Glow Job didn't, so it already had my attention due to that. Again I first used it in this video, and as you can see I definitely preferred it to the Soap and Glory one.

This products boasts many more skin-care qualities too. It aims to hydrate your skin whilst removing signs of ageing over time. Now I am young, but I don't see any harm in using this product now, prevention is much better than a cure after all.

Hydration-wise it definitely is above and beyond the Soap and Glory offering. As soon as I put it on my face I can feel the hydration sinking in. It also has a nice fresh smell, which I tend to associate with Garnier products. I will say that it doesn't last 24 hours, especially in these cooler months. Some times in the after it does start to rub off my skin due to dryness, and I would say I have slightly oily skin; something to consider if you have a dry complexion.

Pigmentation wise, it can look a little orange at first, but does blend out well and is definitely a fierce contender for my loved Origins VitaZing.

This is me with this moisturiser, some concealer and a bit of powder on.

Overall I'm really happy with this product and would most likely buy it again.

What do you think? Have you tried it?

Laura xoxo

Throwback Thursday: Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil Skin Perfector

Whilst my face is quite oily, the rest of my body is actually quite dry. I try to moisutrise as much as possible, but to be honest find the task to be quite a chore. However on one of my many browses of Boots I spotted this guy and thought I'd give it a go.

Basically, it's a spray oil that you spray over your body and pat in. I used this loads when I first got it, but after a while I just stopped. Not because it's a bad product per se, I just got bored. I recently got it back out to test it out against the Vaseline spray moisturisers, and have to say that I prefer the Vaseline version. They are more refreshing to use.

If you do use this product, or any spray moisturiser, make sure you put a towel down first, or else things may get slippy. (You may end up falling down the stairs...)

Whilst I do like this product, I won't be repurchasing and can see why I stopped using it.

Have you got this? What do you think?

Laura xoxo

February Favourites

Another month over, another lot of favourites to share with you all.

Real Techniques Brushes: I am so in love with these brushes. As soon as I spotted them in Boots I went ahead and picked up the Stippling Brush and the Blush Brush (pink handles.) One cost £9.99 and the other £10.99 (I can't remember which, I think the stippling was the more expensive.) I love how these apply my make-up, they are so soft and I couldn't imagine not using them now. I then went back and picked up the Core Collection for £21.99, pretty steep, but for the number of brushes worth it. I got this pack mainly for the Buffing brush because as much as I love the Stippling, it has to be cleaned properly after every use, and at uni I don't have the ability to do that, whereas the Buffing brush is much better at going a couple of days without needing to be washed. I know a lot of people don't really comment on the other brushes in that set, however I've only had them a couple of days and used all four. The contour brush is extremely good and I used the little one for applying lipstick and the foundation brush to blend in concealer.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti Chip Top Coat: This little beauty appears in all of my NOTD's and I thought it deserved a place in my favourites. I don't know how I coped without it. For an avid nail painter this cuts drying time down ridiculously, I know longer have to wait, hands out like an idiot, waiting for it to dry. I have managed to convert some of my friends to it. I recommend it to anyone who paints their nails regularly or who doesn't have much time.

Max Factor High Definition Mascara: I know a lot of people rave about the Max Factor False Lash Effect, however I am obsessed with this one. I found it in November and have used it pretty much everyday since. It really elongates and seperates my lashes and gives such a natural, but better finish to my lashes. Couldn't recommend it enough.

Garnier Youthful Radiance Night Moisturiser: I am loving using this so much at the moment. It feels clean and fresh and really moisturises my skin over night. I did a post about this yesterday, here, if you want more details.

Clean and Clear Morning Burst: I'm loving using this in the morning. It smells gorgeous and leaves your skin looking fresh, bright and awake after a good nights sleep. It's a really nice way to start my day.

I also want to share with you my five favourite Blog's I've been reading this month:

http://www.ducklingtoswan.com/
http://www.blushworks.com/
http://www.icovetthee.com/
http://jemimaandted.blogspot.com/
http://www.thesundaygirl.com/

Hope you've all had a great month.

Laura xoxo

Moisturiser

I've recently been trying out two new moisturisers, one for morning, one for evening. I've been using them for the past two weeks, and would now like to share them with you, (aren't I kind?)

First off, the morning one. This comes from Nivea Visage and is called Natural Beauty Radiance Boosting Moisturiser and is meant to brighten the skin, leaving it looking radiant.

This moisturiser is a light to medium one, it doesn't feel heavy on the skin, and is quite light to apply. It has tiny little shimmery particles in it, which you can't see when it is on the skin. It could be used on its own and a day you don't want to wear any foundation, however it doesn't give any coverage. I like this moisturiser, but don't think I will be re-purchasing it, mainly as I don't find it does anything for me really, but this is a perfectly ok, moistriser to use.

For night time I use a Garnier moisturiser called Garnier Skin Naturals Youthful Radiance. I've thrown the box away so not 100% what it states it will do. My guess is rejuvenate your skin overnight?

 I love using this moisturiser. It leaves a nice heavy feel on my face, but in a good way, and I kind still feel the remains of it in the morning, which I really like. It is quite a thick consistency and blends into the skin really easily. It has a lovely fresh, almost cucumbery smell, and I will definitely be re-purchasing this.




I hope you found these reviews useful. Have you tried either of these?
What day-time moisturiser would you recommend?

Laura xoxo



Evening Skin Care Routine

I'm not going to lie, for a very long time all I used to do was get a make-up wipe, rub it over my face and then say that my make-up was off. I have since learnt, thank you massive breakouts for bringing it to my attention, that it is really not enough. So, I thought I'd do a little evening skin care routine post to show you what I use, and the methods I take in the evening to make-sure I got to bed nice and fresh faced.

First off that I should say that the routine I follow is one that I now stick too, the products I use, however, are interchangeable and just the products I'm using at the moment.

Nivea, Daily Essentials, Eye Make-up Remover: I like this eye make-up remover, it does the job and doesn't sting my eyes. I will say though, if I've been on a night out and have lots of eye make-up on, or if I have waterproof mascara on I use baby oil before this. Now I like to take my eye make-up off first because I read somewhere that it is better to do this so that the mascara doesn't run all round your face, and your face will be cleaner.

Face Wipes: At the moment I'm using an Asda's own face wipe. This is mainly because they're cheap and I don't see the point in splashing lots of cash on something that will be on my face for a matter of seconds. So yeah, after I've used my eye make-up remover I then take the rest of my make-up off using this.

Face Wash: At the moment I'm using a Clearasil face wash, which I like. It foams up nicely and leaves my skin feeling nice and fresh. I do this to definitely make sure that any trace of make-up is removed from my face.
Every other day I like to use my Garnier Brush Exfoliater to make sure I'm getting rid of all the dead skin cells and giving my skin a deep cleanse.

Cleanser: I'm still using my No7 Foaming Facial Cleanser which I mentioned in my January favourites, and I still love it. It really cleans my face and leaves it feeling, clean, soft and dewy which I really like.

Toner: I simple just go over my face with this Simple Toner, just because I feel like I'm supposed to (cleanse, tone and moisturise after all.) I can't tell you what it does, but I can tell you it makes  my feel happy so that is why I use it. (Gosh this is going to be such a helpful post!)

Spot Treatment: Again, I am still a massive fan of the Origins Spot Treatment. It really works at reducing spot size, and you can feel it working. I like to apply this to any breakouts I have, or feel like are appearing.

Eye Treatment: I have been using this for ages and it still hasn't run out. It is the Garnier Roll On. It does a really good job as I have naturally dark shadows under my eyes and it really helps keep them under control.

Moisturiser:I like to finish off with a good moisturiser that I like to feel still is working when I wake up in the morning. I only got this Garnier Night Cream in the week, so I'm thinking of doing a full review on it later in the week, but at the moment, I've got to say, I'm loving it.

So there you go, my evening skin care routine. I'm sorry it's not that helpful or scientific, but I know I like reading these types of posts because it gives me an insight into the products people use and how they use them.

What are your favourite products?

Laura xoxo